Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat Is Assassinated
Anwar el-Sadat served as the President of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination on October 6, 1981. He is notable for his role in negotiating peace with Israel, culminating in the Camp David Accords, which earned him and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. Born on December 25, 1918, Sadat had a military background and was deeply involved in the movement to end British occupation of Egypt. His presidency was marked by significant challenges, including ongoing tensions with Israel and economic struggles at home. Despite achieving a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, Sadat faced backlash from other Arab nations, resulting in Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League. His attempts to suppress dissent and respond to economic issues contributed to domestic dissatisfaction. Sadat’s assassination was carried out by Muslim extremists during a military parade, reflecting the polarized responses to his policies and peace efforts. His legacy remains complex, as he navigated the tumultuous landscape of Middle Eastern politics while striving for stability in Egypt.
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Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat Is Assassinated
Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat Is Assassinated
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, president of Egypt from 1970 to 1981, was assassinated by extremists within his own army on October 6, 1981. An Egyptian army officer before becoming president, he had negotiated peace talks with Israel leading to an end to hostilities between the two countries. Sadat shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin in 1978.
Sadat was born on December 25, 1918, in the village of Mit Abu al Kawm, located in the Nile Delta. In 1936 he was one of the first students enrolled in a military school created in Egypt by Britain, which had been occupying Egypt since the 19th century. He was trained in math and science and studied historical battles. Upon his graduation in 1938, Sadat was sent to an outpost where he met Gamal Abdel Nasser. With Nasser, Sadat and others began to plot an end to British rule in Egypt, achieved in 1952. Sadat supported Nasser's election to the presidency in 1956 and served in the Egyptian government in various positions, including two terms as vice president (1962–64, 1969–70).
Upon Nasser's death in September 1970, Sadat stepped into the presidency and was elected to the post less than one month later. His most pressing problem was the continuing state of hostilities with Israel. The United Nations had divided the territory of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states in November 1947, and when Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, it was attacked almost immediately by the Palestinians and several surrounding Arab countries, including Egypt. By the end of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948–1949, Israel had managed to expand its territory. Further wars followed, and in 1967 during the Six-Day War Israel succeeded in capturing the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.
After consolidating his hold on the Egyptian government, Sadat worked to build up the Egyptian army in order to battle Israel once again. Egypt and Syria invaded Israel in October 1973, starting another Arab-Israeli war. Israel managed to drive out the invaders, and the Egyptians were once again defeated. Faced with economic problems in Egypt following this conflict, Sadat began to explore ways to bring peace to the Middle East. In November 1977 he accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Menachem Begin to visit Jerusalem. He was the first chief of state from an Arab nation to make such a visit. While there, Sadat addressed the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) and set forth conditions for peace between Israel and Egypt. Despite opposition from Arabs within and without Egypt, Sadat continued to pursue a peace treaty with Israel. For these attempts, Time magazine named him Man of the Year in 1977.
When talks between Sadat and Begin faltered, U.S. president Jimmy Carter invited both leaders to Camp David, the presidential retreat, for a series of meetings. Following 13 days of negotiations mediated by the U.S. president, two peace agreements were reached—one for peace between Israel and Egypt, and one that was a framework for peace in the Middle East in general.
Israel and Egypt signed the peace treaty on March 26, 1979. For their efforts to achieve peace, Sadat and Begin had already been jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. However, despite the resolution of hostilities between their two countries, Sadat and Begin were not able to achieve a general peace in the Middle East.
While the West hailed Sadat's efforts, his fellow Arabs strongly opposed them. The Arab League expelled Egypt and removed its headquarters from the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Other Arab states broke off relations with the nation. A worsening economy at home did not help Sadat's reputation with his people, and neither did his efforts to suppress dissent to his policies. On October 6, 1981, while in Cairo reviewing a military parade commemorating the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists. After Sadat's death, Egypt continued to maintain its new and peaceful relationship with Israel.